Swallow must go

John Swallow must go. At this point, even if he is found to be innocent of myriad allegations against him - ranging from participating in a bribe scheme involving St. George businessman Jeremy Johnson to election campaign-law violations - the public's trust in the man who is supposed to be the top law enforcement agent in the state is weak at best.

The latest allegations involve potential campaign finance violations. A group known as Alliance for a Better Utah - a liberal organization - filed a complaint stating Swallow omitted details from his financial disclosure statement during the campaign last year that concealed his interest in a company involved in the scandal related to Johnson.

Lt. Gov. Greg Bell has done his due diligence on the 12 elections allegations and found that nine of them had no merit, some because they involved a different man named John Swallow. That discovery shows some sloppy work done by the Alliance for a Better Utah. But the fact that three allegations have been identified as being worthy of further investigation by a special counsel shows there is more cause for concern.

Swallow twice ran for election in a heavily Republican 2nd congressional district in the last decade and twice lost to Rep. Jim Matheson. He appeared to have finally found his political legs by becoming a top deputy in the Utah Attorney General's Office and then winning election handily in November.

But allegations have surfaced one after the other since his election, usually involving Johnson, who has been charged with federal Internet fraud charges and faces the possibility of decades in prison. Johnson has produced emails and a secret recording of a meeting last April between Swallow and him at a Krispy Kreme doughnut shop in the Provo area. In the most damning of allegations, Swallow has been accused of helping broker a bribe of Nevada Sen. Harry Reid for the charges against Johnson to be dismissed.

Swallow vehemently has denied all of these allegations. But he can't provide a plausible explanation for meeting with Johnson in a restaurant long after charges had been filed.

Last week, Swallow and his predecessor, Mark Shurtleff, were accused by a man serving a 10-year prison sentence of taking favors from a man prosecuted under Shurtleff's administration. Swallow reportedly has admitted to taking trips to Pelican Hill, an upscale resort in Newport Coast, Calif. And their accuser says he has receipts showing both men signed for food and other luxuries while staying there.

It's yet another chapter in a quickly thickening book of distrust for our supposed top law enforcement officer.

Swallow has become an embarrassment to the Republican Party and to the state. His credibility is next to zero, meaning he cannot be effective for Utah taxpayers as he argues federal authorities over such critical issue as public lands, immigration, health care reform and other laws that could greatly impact our state.

The best-case scenario is for Swallow to resign. Short of that, he should, in effect, suspend himself until all of these investigations are completed.

With all of these allegations swirling around, he can't be an effective attorney general for the people of Utah.

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Swallow must go

John Swallow must go. At this point, even if he is found to be innocent of myriad allegations against him - ranging from participating in a bribe scheme involving St. George businessman Jeremy